Vietnam case !

Vietnam has a real problem with "Wine world".  The vast majority of Vietnamese don't know that there are wines that agree with meals...

They do not make the difference, and it's sad to see good restaurants Managers being incompetent on this subject. 

Of course this will change, as has been the case in many countries, but it will take time ... Question of cultural evolution ...

Example 1 Good and reputed restaurant of HCMC

With our seafood, the Manager insistently offered us this wine! 

"Butterscotch, pineapple, orange, reach flavor of ripe pear, honey, vanila..." and of course no acidity! For seafood? It's comical and distressing ... How can you not understand that this wine does not agree at all with Seafood? A fragrant drink that does not respect the flavor of dishes. 

It is a good wine to drink on a terrace before or after a meal, but never during! Except of course if you like very aromatic drinks, sodas or fruit juices to accompany dishes; In this case OK, I respect the taste of everyone. I denounce the deception, the incompetence, not the taste of each one.

Example 2 Also in a good and reputed restaurant of HCMC

 R1 : Poor description, very heavy wine, no match with food except dish in sauce.

 R2 : OK, easy wine.

 R3 : Very heavy wine, no match with food

 R4 : Very heavy wine, no match with food

 R5 : Not true; "Perfect balance" is used when we have acidity. Not in this case... 

         Heavy wine, no match with food.

 R6 : No match with food because too sweet.

 R7 : No match with food because no acidity.

 R8 : No match with food because too aromatic and bad balance.

 R9 : OK, good wine, nice balance, not too heavy.

 RESULT : 9 wines, only 2 match with food ! And R9 is expensive...

                                  
 W3 : No match with food. Mango, papaya, pinneaple... No respect for dishes flavors
 W4 : OK, light wine, easy.
 W5 : No match with food. Too aromatic.
 W6 : No match with food. No balance, too sweet.
 W7 : No match with food. No balance, too fruity.
 W8 : Poor description. No balance. No match with food.
 W9 : Yes, very expressive! Too much... No match with food, except crustaceans in sauce.
 W10: As they write it... Wine for aperitif! No match with food.

 RESULT : 8 wines, only 1 match with food ! 

Conclusion: 
17 Wines 
3 OK with food 
14 for "Barista" only.

This is a good image of the wine market in Vietnam in 2017.

Example 3 Good and reputed restaurant of HCMC

In this case, 10 wines.
If you enjoy a wine pairing with food... Order a Beer or water ! All of them are or to heavy, or too aromatic, always without balance....

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In Vietnam, the situation is complex, it is the result of many situations, 

internal and external.

Regard to the wine market Vietnam is a special case.

This due to a combination of situations over many years…

The current situation:

In the vast majority of restaurants, the wine list is a disaster: Overripe wines, strong alcohol wines, too aromatic wines for a meal, often served at wrong temperature…  

The vast majority of Vietnamese has no fair idea about the various wines:  A red wine is a red wine, that's all; He is strong, he has taste: that's fine.  I've heard that many times of well-known Hotel managers, buyers of department stores, numerous restaurants, and of course Vietnamese consumers.

In 2016 the world is going to sugar... Sugary products sell well, although soft drinks are down for health reasons. Overripe wines, so high in sugars, do not attack the mouth, and that's fine. Consumers have little food culture, especially the young who dream Burger, Nuggets, Pizza and Tortilla; and they laugh that we can talk about tasting balance… This phenomenon is global: Japan, China, Singapore or Europe, everywhere it is the same for young generation. US, Australia they are accustomed since always…

2010 – 2016 In HCMC, Danang or Hanoi many times restaurateurs who receive foreigners said: “We do not change our wine offer because we sell little.”  Of course! This is the story of "Dog biting its tail". Europe consumer don’t want to invest 90000.- to 150000.- Dong in a glass of overripe wines! France, German, Italy consoumers know this kind of wines does not agree at all with food. Then they order beer, cold tea, water or sodas. No wine. 

For natural reasons, California, Australia, Sth Africa, Chile... Produce unbalanced wines without acidity. In 80% of cases; Of course there are excellent wines pairing with food  in California, Australian Chile or Sth Africa, but in that case they are expensive, because "special" Top Wines who need low productivity and high technology to resemble the wines of France, northern Italy or northern Spain...

 

Sun constantly  is not good for the vine, 

than no good for balanced wines.

It's concern California, Australia, South Africa wines, Chile, Argentina

also south and center Spain, south Italy, Greece, Turkey...

  

No season is not good for the vine,

because it is very difficult to produce balanced wines.

It's concern 90% of New World Wines

Few balanced wines but most in Vietnam restaurants !

 

                                    Winter                 Spring/Autumn                 Summer

                                     It's concern Germany, Austria, Swiss, Canada....Wines

  Few balanced wines